This album was among my favorites in the 60's. The CD (with the songs in a different order) is better than the original album' mine had worn out. I would have preferred more information on the CD label, but the cuts were what I wanted, and got.
September 22, 2008 |  | Quicksilver Messenger Service |  |
Approximately 31 min. Remastered sound,no extra tracks. A lot has been written about this album and the group,so it's safe to assume that anyone with an interest in this group/album doesn't need any background. The sound of this Japanese pressing is much better than previous releases. The sound of each guitar is separate from each other,as are the bass and drums. The sound of Cippolina's guitar is even more immediate and stronger than in the past. The drums,which were buried somewhat,are still in the background but sound a bit cleaner. The same goes for the bass. While the rhythm section is good at what they do,they were never intended to be upfront-just hold everything together while Cippolina and Duncan trade riffs. This album hits you very squarely in the face with it's cleaned up sound and is even more of a good listening experience. Having heard QMS a number of times in the late sixties I'm still amazed at their transformation in the studio. It was a bit apparent that they were never quite the same after hearing Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites(who produced this album),along with bass player Harvey Brooks(also a producer)when they entered the studio. Live,on a good night,they were capable of rousing a crowd to near ecstacy with their legendary guitar duels. A lot of that was toned down when they went in to record these tracks. Of course the guitar "growls" are here in all their clarity,but one wonders if something that beginner guitarists learn very soon wasn't done under the heading of "lets light up one and make some groovy sounds". The vocals,never all that strong,are heard in new clarity,which could be either good or bad,depending on your point of view. But bringing everything together,this is still a favorite-both for old time's sake and for the musicianship. If you like this album,I advise you to buy this remastered version-and relive some memories and marvel at such fine musical interplay.
September 15, 2008Most reviews here will offer historical context, (File Under "SF Sounds '60's"), be erudite, and not really care. No top 40 hits, hardly a nudge on FM east of San Francisco. Some reviewers mention the amazing guitar playing of John Cippolino, the drug bust of Dino Valente, the bass of Gary Player, the drums of
All well and good. But sometimes ..there's more. A personal history.
I was 13 in 1968 living in the North Bay and Quicksliver Messenger Service played often at home and always seemed like back yard friends, only way cooler. And now they had a 45!, "Pride of Man". Didn't get played much anywhere, not even at hometown radio KFRC. But!, dang!, the album "Quicksliver Messenger Service" was pride on KSAN, the first and foremost FM station in the world!.
I saved lunch money at .35 a day, didn't eat for 3 three weeks until I saved up to buy Quicksilver's first LP. I walked 3 miles in pouring rain to the local record store, paid for it with emptied pockets and walked out with what I knew to be my treasure. I got the 12 x 5 brown paper bag that fit tight against the barely kept sealed album and held it underneath a sweater and a jacket, safe until I got home. I skipped through other stores, keeping the bag and myself dry, but knew there were miles before home and what to do? I ran to a local church alcove, stood there clutching this precious religious trinket, waited for the rain to stop. The clouds broke and I scooted home just before the next burst.
Finally home,in my bedroom,(gosh couldn't let parents know about this!) I slipped a fingernail into the celephane that kept me from my record and true understanding of the great wide world. I pulled out the gleaming black diamond disc and winked at it. I set it on a 1930's turntable, MONO, and let half the record wash over me. " Oh God! Pride of Man"!
Took me a couple of years to get a stereo record player of my own. Had to play "QuickSilver" on parent's HiFi when they weren't home. Bought subsequence Quicksilver LPs and enjoyed the live shows..
and oh! man stories of those should be told!
June 8, 2008Arguably the best QMS album ever, Quicksilver's debut captures the original quartet when they were raw, hungry, and creative. By the time the band finally made it into the studio, it had settled on a unique formula. On the one hand, bassist David Freiberg had folkie roots and a good ear for both quirky material and creative arrangements. On the other hand, guitarist Gary Duncan had a backlog of rhythm-and-blues garage tunes and a jazz-tinged psychedelic imagination. These two sides were congenial and well mediated by John Cipollina's inimitable finger-picked electric guitar leads. This album features the first of the two main influences almost exclusively (Hamilton Camp's "Pride of Man, Dino Valenti's "Dino's Song" producer Nick Gravenites' "It's Been Too Long"), but also a chronicle of Freiberg and Duncan's brief stint as collaborative songwriters ("Light Your Windows" and "The Fool") and one of Duncan's jazzy forays ("Gold and Silver"). The results are fresh, tight, and exuberant. A very happy memory from a band that would fall on hard times shortly thereafter.
August 30, 2007 | | Actually, 3.5 stars- an excellent slice of late sixties 'Frisco rock | |
It really is a shame that the Quicksilver Messenger Service never released a live album; like their West Coast contemporaries the Grateful Dead, this group's reputation rested primarily on the power and mind-expanding force of their concerts. And, just like the Dead, that kind of energy just couldn't be captured by a studio recording. Indeed, the weakest moments on this, their self-titled debut album, can be found during the long instrumrntal passages. Just listen to "The Fool," which spends twelve long minutes trying to find some sort of middle ground between Jerry Garcia and Jim Morrison before collapsing in an uninspiring heap. The song simply doesn't get off the ground, and is for the most part a boring, undistinct blur.
But don't get me wrong- there is some really great music to be found here. There's nothing life altering or mind-expanding, but this album's best moments do manage to rival any other highlight of the West Coast scene. Opener "Pride Of Man" is one of the great unheralded sixties rock 'n' roll singles. It's an apocalyptic classic with an anthemic chorus and a truly ominous atmosphere. And it's catchy! "Dino's Song" and "It's Been Too Long" are concise, infectious groovers, the latter of which features some way-cool vocals. "Light Your Windows" may not be as strikingly beautiful as the band intended it to be, but it still has a certain dreamy power to it. Great guitar solo, too. "Gold And Silver" is a jazzy instrumrntal with melody that echoes the Dave Brubeck Quintet's "Take Five." It does drag a bit, but there is some truly inspired guitar playing from John Cipollina.
All in all, a really good listen for fans of the era and the area.
August 16, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(43 reviews)